Grand Cru - 2018
Benoît Lahaye
- Region
- France » Champagne AOC » Montagne de Reims » Bouzy
- Type
- white traditional sparkling, extra brut
- Producer
- Benoît Lahaye
- Vintage
- 2018
- Disgorged
- 2023-10
- On lees
- ~60 months
- Grapes
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
- Alcohol
- 13
- Sugar
- 2.6
- Volume
- 750 mL
- Cellar
- not available
Ratings
This is a great wine. The 2018 vintage appears slower to mature compared to 2017, suggesting it may benefit from more time. Nonetheless, Lahaye's style captivates me, with its natural qualities existing in harmony, balanced by more conventional notes. Most notably, his Champagnes possess a pronounced vinous character. The nose is intense, offering aromas of cider, Jerez, bruised apple, lemon tart, pickles, and candies. It's stylish, concentrated, and evolving, yet in my opinion, still a bit too young.
Benoît Lahaye
Benoît Lahaye is among those few daring growers that practice certified biodynamic farming in a Champagne erratic climate. After taking responsibility for the family estate in 1993, Benoît systematically moved towards organic (certified in 2007) and biodynamic practices (certified in 2010). His Burgundy horse, named Tamise, helped him on this road (no pun intended). You can see them together in many photos online.
Today (at least in 2021) Benoît Lahaye owns 4.8 hectares, which are planted to 88% pinot noir: three hectares are located in the pinot noir epicentre of Bouzy; one - in Ambonnay; and tiny parcels in Tauxières-Mutry and Vertus.
Since 2012, all base wines are fermented in 205-litre barriques of between new and 15 years old. Interestingly, Benoît emphasises that his style is not oxidative, preferring to leave oxidative development to occur in the bottle. He also experiments with small tanks, egg fermenters and Tuscan amphorae. Only indigenous yeast is used for fermentation. Full malolactic fermentation is used since 2008 to enhance complexity and permit the reduction of .